BU big man likely to miss season

Bradley men’s basketball forward Will Egolf, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee 19 days ago, will almost certainly not return to game action until the 2012-13 season.

“I don’t think it’s very likely that he’ll play this year,” BU coach Geno Ford said. “We’re operating under the premise that he’ll come back for a sixth year (in 2012-13).”

Dave Reynolds

Bradley men’s basketball forward Will Egolf, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee 19 days ago, will almost certainly not return to game action until the 2012-13 season.

“I don’t think it’s very likely that he’ll play this year,” BU coach Geno Ford said. “We’re operating under the premise that he’ll come back for a sixth year (in 2012-13).”

Egolf said that noted Chicago surgeon Dr. Brian Cole will wait until July 20 to perform the surgery, which will allow swelling to dissipate and give the knee a chance to gain strength and range of motion.

Instructions from Cole, the Chicago Bulls’ team physician, called for no contact for eight months after surgery. That puts a full-scale return to the court at March 20, likely after the Braves’ 2011-12 season.

“I was a little bit worried it would come down to the team needed me, I’m at 80 percent and I have to decide,” Egolf said. “So it was kind of a relief to have Dr. Cole make the decision for me. I’ll basically do rehab and basketball drills during the entire season.”

Egolf suffered the mishap on June 6, during an open gym scrimmage with teammates at the Braves’ Renaissance Coliseum practice facility. He sat out most of the 2008-09 season with the same injury, receiving another year of eligibility with a medical redshirt.

While receiving a second such redshirt season from the NCAA is rare in college sports, Egolf’s situation, like BU teammate Sam Singh two years ago, should be a clear-cut case where receiving a sixth year is a formality.

“I would never attempt to speak on behalf of the NCAA,” Ford said. “But I’m very confident the whole reason the sixth-year rule was put into place was to help student-athletes who suffer two season-ending injuries. There is no gray area in any of this for Will. If he’s not medically cleared to play, I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work out.”

The 6-foot-9 Alaskan is already making academic preparations toward a second degree.

“I’m looking at the positives,” Egolf said. “I’m planning to add a second major in multimedia to go with organizational communications and a minor in marketing.”

Ford noted the basketball benefits as well.

“Will can work on his shooting and ballhandling,” he said. “And he can sit and watch our (new) system for a year.

“It will be an easier transition for him instead of learning on the fly. It’s not the worst thing that’s happened. He’s been very mature about it.”

Egolf is hopeful of playing professional basketball following his BU career, fueling the desire to make sure he’s 100 percent when he comes back.

Egolf recovered nicely from the last ACL injury and started all but two games the last two seasons.

As a sophomore, he averaged 7.0 points and 4.4 rebounds. And last year, he averaged 8.0 points and 4.1 rebounds.

In light of Egolf’s circumstance, Ford said a decision won’t be made until the fall on whether to follow through with a mutual intention to redshirt 7-foot freshman Nate Wells.

“It’s hard to say now,” Ford said. “We won’t have those conversations until after the first few weeks of practice in late October.”